2009 Honorees

Emil J. Freireich, M.D., D.Sc.

Dr. Freireich began his career at the National Cancer Institute in 1955 before moving to his present position at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 1965. His research has focused on the biology and therapy of cancer with an emphasis on leukemias. He pioneered in the development of platelet replacement transfusion for the management of thrombocytopenia. He devised the first continuous flow blood cell separator for the collection of leukocytes for replacement transfusion and for the collection of peripheral blood stem cells for bone marrow transplantation.

He developed the concepts of combination chemotherapy, which were first applied to the management of childhood leukemia and resulted in the first curative therapy for a systemic cancer in man. He pioneered in the application of cytogenetics and molecular genetics to patient care and to the evaluation of the effects of therapy, including detection of minimal residual disease.

His research has been recognized by many important research awards, including the Albert Lasker Medical Research Award (1972), the 5th Charles F. Kettering Prize of the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation (1983), and the Robert Roesler de Villiers Award of the Leukemia Society of America, Inc. (1979). A graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, he received an honorary Doctor of Science degree (1982) and was selected for the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award (2000).
Dr. Freireich shared the first the National Institutes of Health Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1990 with Dr. Emil Frei, III.

Castle Connolly "National Physician of The Year Awards" All Rights Reserved.